You know how, when you were 13, you'd go to slumber parties and everyone would always want to play Truth or Dare? And the first Truth question would be, "What's your most embarrassing moment?"
Well I finally have my answer.
After class today I spent an hour wandering through the aisles of Pamplona's biggest supermarket, filling my cart with all the essentials: hot Mexican salsa, high-fiber breakfast cereal, giant cans of garbanzo beans, boxes of granola bars, gold-wrapped Ferrero Rocher chocolate, etc, etc.
As I approached the checkout line, I felt an inexplicable sense of nervous foreboding — which I tried to ignore as I loaded everything from my heavy cart onto the conveyor belt. The woman on the other side of the cash register electronically scanned each and every one of the many items, and I began stuffing the boxes and cans into my backpack. I glanced up at the small digital display to check the final total cost, which came to €64. I handed the cashier my new Spanish credit card with bated breath.
She swiped it and then turned the keypad towards me.
"PONER NUMERO SECRETO," the screen said.
Secret number?
What secret number?
...
The secret number is secret even from me, it seems.
Which is unfortunate, to say the least, as I have €64 of food sitting in front of me waiting to be paid for, and an anxious businessman tapping his foot waiting to check out behind me. And a near-empty wallet — extremely light after a weekend trip to Valencia.
I peered dubiously into the depths of the wallet. One €10 and one €5.
So after some flustered bumbling through Spanish phrases, I conveyed that I was in fact unable to pay for the large amount groceries that I had collected. I awkwardly started pulling items back out of my backpack — can after box after can. Since they were each only two or three euros, we had to un-scan an awful lot of cans.
The impatient businessman looked on.
I dejectedly carried home my measly €15 euros of granola bars and garbanzo beans — exactly 23% of my original desired purchases.
Spanish debit card: 1
Caroline: 0
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Amigooos
I made not one but TWO friends at school on Thursday! A big accomplishment, considering how I've found that to be more challenging than I had expected.
I awkwardly sat alone in my first class and tried not to draw attention to myself (though I'm so obviously American, with my big backpack and Nalgene water bottle). Everyone in the journalism school here has been in the same classes since they started college, so the friend groups are already well established. I've also learned that this region of the country, the Basque region, tends to be more closed and private than what I'm used to.
But after class, a Spanish girl approached me and introduced herself! She also introduced me to her friends. It made my day.
The other new friend was a guy from the Philippines named Nachi. I automatically liked this guy because he was so kind as to respond to my desperate post on the UNAV International Students Facebook group begging for a Nikon D60 camera charger. (I've been forced to conclude that I left mine at home.)
Nachi and I talked for a few minutes and I learned that he is super into photography and does triathlons. We exchanged numbers because he's new, too.
Friends, yay!
Thursday night was a blast. I went to dinner in Casco Viejo (the oldest part of the city) with my friend Massi, who took me to what was undoubtedly the only vegan burger in this entire province. Later we met up with other friends at bars and ended the night at a club — where I actually had fun. I was able to sleep in late the next day since I don't have any Friday classes.
What blows my mind, though, is that other international students make this a lifestyle. The stereotype about study abroad is so true: There are people here who have these late nights out more often than not. Call me lame, but I simply don't have the stamina.
I awkwardly sat alone in my first class and tried not to draw attention to myself (though I'm so obviously American, with my big backpack and Nalgene water bottle). Everyone in the journalism school here has been in the same classes since they started college, so the friend groups are already well established. I've also learned that this region of the country, the Basque region, tends to be more closed and private than what I'm used to.
But after class, a Spanish girl approached me and introduced herself! She also introduced me to her friends. It made my day.
The other new friend was a guy from the Philippines named Nachi. I automatically liked this guy because he was so kind as to respond to my desperate post on the UNAV International Students Facebook group begging for a Nikon D60 camera charger. (I've been forced to conclude that I left mine at home.)
Nachi and I talked for a few minutes and I learned that he is super into photography and does triathlons. We exchanged numbers because he's new, too.
Friends, yay!
Thursday night was a blast. I went to dinner in Casco Viejo (the oldest part of the city) with my friend Massi, who took me to what was undoubtedly the only vegan burger in this entire province. Later we met up with other friends at bars and ended the night at a club — where I actually had fun. I was able to sleep in late the next day since I don't have any Friday classes.
What blows my mind, though, is that other international students make this a lifestyle. The stereotype about study abroad is so true: There are people here who have these late nights out more often than not. Call me lame, but I simply don't have the stamina.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
From the Food Diary of Caroline Leland
I just invented something awesome and amazing that consists of spaghetti (which I cooked whole, in honor of my Italian friend who I scandalized a few nights ago by snapping the uncooked strands in half before dropping them in the pot), tomato sauce, garbanzo beans and blue cheese. I added black pepper, powdered garlic and oregano — and wowza! Feeling very #accomplished right now in the slow-moving saga of Caroline Learns to Feed Herself.
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